Family History Week Helps ‘Dig for Family Treasures’

Mar 26, 2024 01:56PM ● By FamilySearch.org News Release

John and Paige Edmondson are the Sacramento FamilySearch Center directors. Photo courtesy of FamilySearch.org

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - The benefits of discovering your family history are immense. Knowing where and who you come from can provide a sense of identity and belonging and helps you connect with your cultural heritage. You can even find family members you might never have known who can help you unlock family mysteries and even secrets.

Genealogy is also one of the most popular hobbies in the United States, surpassed only by gardening. It’s not surprising that both hobbies have common threads, including roots, trees and a lot of digging to be successful, according to John Edmondson at FamilySearch.org.

A week dedicated to researching your family history, “Digging for Family Treasures,” kicks off April 1, with a full day of genealogical workshops, classes and tours at the Sacramento FamilySearch Center. During the rest of the week, research facilities, archives and libraries throughout the Greater Sacramento area will provide special tours and activities, culminating on April 6, with another full slate of classes and tours at the California State Archives, Sacramento, located near the state Capitol. The week will come to a grand conclusion with a presentation by California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber.

Patrons can digitize old movies photos and audio recordings for free in the Sacramento FamilySearch. Photo courtesy of FamilySearch.org

This special Family History Week from April 1 to 6 is being organized by the Sacramento Regional Genealogical Council, along with help from several sponsors. It includes tours and other activities in the Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, El Dorado and Placer County region. Many of the classes and tours require registration by going to the council’s website at www.srgcouncil.org.

On April 1, Family History Week launches at 10 a.m. at the Sacramento FamilySearch Center, 2745 Eastern Ave., with a presentation, “Genealogy: What’s in It for Me?” by professional genealogist Sarah Clift. More than a dozen workshops during the day include ones on Angel Island immigration records, documenting heirlooms, using social media for research and tracking a family’s military past. Facility tours throughout the day include access to multiple genealogical sites and photo, movie and audio preservation capabilities, will be given throughout the day. The day will culminate with a “Researching Naturalization Records” presentation at 3 p.m.

On April 2, a special viewing of the California Constitutions will be provided at the California Secretary of State Building, 914 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Also on April 2, the Yolo County Archives at 226 Buckeye St., Woodland will offer tours from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on its collections and how they can be used for genealogical purposes.

The California State Library’s California History Room, 900 N St., will be open for research opportunities from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sacramento FamilySearch will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for research assistance on April 2.

On April 3, Sutter County Museum at 1333 Butte House Road, Yuba City, will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to share local history and genealogical-gathering information. Also on April 3, two Sacramento Public Library branches will provide overviews of their research capabilities. The Central Branch tour at 828 I St., Sacramento is at 11 a.m. and the Carmichael Branch tour at 5605 Marconi Ave. is at 4 p.m. The California State Library’s California History Room will be open for research opportunities from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sacramento FamilySearch will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for research assistance.

On April 4, the California Statewide Museum Collections Center, which is home to the California State Parks Archives, will have a 1 p.m. tour at 4940 Lang Ave., McClellan. The California State Library’s California History Room will be open for research opportunities from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sacramento FamilySearch will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for research assistance.

On April 5, the Center for Sacramento History at 551 Sequoia Pacific Blvd. will conduct presentations on research of its resources, followed by tours of the collection storage vault at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. In addition, Sacramento FamilySearch will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On April 6, the California State Archives at 1020 O St. is headlining a full day of classes designed for both the beginning and experienced genealogical researcher, along with facility tours and displays from local genealogical and historical societies. The 16 classes include “Bad Boys Make Headlines,” “Sneaky Pete,” “From Arrest to America” and “How Did They Live and Die? Exploring Medical Genealogy.” The event runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the Secretary of State’s presentation begins at 3 p.m.

For more information and for more activities, go to www.srgcouncil.org. Or email the genealogical council at [email protected] or call the Sacramento FamilySearch Center at 916-487-2090.